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Add Some Extra Flavour to Your Garden. Here’s How to Grow Herbs at Home

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By Scotts


Give your herbs the sun they deserve

Indoor herbs need plenty of sun in order to thrive, so be sure to find them a spot in your home where the sun shines. Windows facing south are ideal and will get the most sun, with east and west facing windows also work. North-facing windows won't get enough light, so try to avoid placing your new herb babies there. If you need to supplement some sun, try picking up a grow lamp and placing your herbs underneath for up to 12 hours a day. You can pick up a grow lamp at your local Home Hardware store.
Give your herbs the sun they deserve
Herbs need the right foundation


Herbs need the right foundation

Since your herbs will need ample nutrients, oxygen, and moisture at the root level, picking the right soil is crucial to success. Always use a quality potting mix, such as Miracle-Gro® Moisture Control Potting Mix, which will allow for proper airflow and drainage so your herbs can root deeply and thrive. 

If you’re trying to grow your herbs from seeds, look for soils that are dense and compact, since they are more likely to grow better in containers. Using a specialized soil, such as Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix can help set you up for sprouts. Follow your seed package directions, but typically you should plant most herb seeds no deeper than an inch deep, or simply sprinkle them on top of the soil and cover loosely. Cover the container with a plastic dome or bag, and place in a warm spot out of direct sunlight until the seeds germinate. Once your seeds have started to germinate and sprout, remove the covering you placed over top and move to a sunny location to continue the growing process


Cure the transplant blues

Whenever you move your herbs from a sunny, outdoor location into an indoor location, your herbs run the risk of going into almost a light-deprivation shock. Slowly help your herbs adjust by acclimating them to these new lower light levels. First, try moving them (in their containers) from an outdoor area with full sun to an outdoor area that receives partial sun for two weeks. To cap off the transition process, move them again to slightly deeper shade for another one to two weeks, before finally moving them indoors.

Cure the transplant blues

Watch your watering

Over-watering can spell certain doom for your herbs. Between watering, let the potting mix dry down. Simple tip: Stick your finger in the potting mix up to your knuckle - If it’s dry, it’s time to water. But be sure to water thoroughly. Keep watering until you see pooling near the container holes. You’ll want to water to the base of the plant but try to keep water off the leaves. To promote a long growing period, feed your herbs every two weeks with Miracle-Gro® Organics Plant Food for Vegetables & Herbs.

Just take a little off the top

Making sure you give your herbs frequent, light pruning’s not only means that you get to enjoy them in your cooking, but also helps keep your plants compact and growing new leaves. Pruning prevents your plants from growing too tall, and harvesting those fresh herbs often helps extend the growing period of your herbs so you can get the most out of them. But also, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for flowers. But if you just pinch them off below the bud as soon as you see them appear, you should be able to keep those herbs growing for a long time.
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